Budhanilkantha- Vishnu, the major God of Hindu trio sleeps on a bed of serpents

Nine kilometers North from the main hub of Kathmandu City lies the temple of Budhanilkantha which is believed to be self emerged. The temple lying at the base of Shivpuri Hill has a floating deity Bishnu, one of the major Gods of Hindu trios. The sleeping posture of Vishnu which is called Jalasayan with his legs crossed on a bed of large 11 hoods serpent is strangely divine in itself. His four hands holding the four symbols of Lord Vishnu, the conch shell, the disc, the club and the lotus flower is gigantic in size floating in relatively small pool supposed to be cosmic ocean by Hindu devotees.

During Haribodhini Ekadashi which normally falls during late October or early November of Georgian Calendar, Hindus believe that Lord Vishnu who sleeps on the cosmic ocean wakes up and on that day thousands of devotees throng to Budhanilkantha to offer prayers to Lord Visnhu. Touching the legs of this sleeping deity on that day is considered very religious as per the Hindu belief.

Here we have few photographs of Budhanilkantha captured during the Nepalese New Year.